Fire escape



Patented Feb. 6, 1923.

riiirnor. vnso'ovi', Giannina, Kansas'.

Finn-Escasa.' l

Application l'ed September 30, 192.1. Serial .No.fll.

scription of the invention, such as VWill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 'make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. V

` This invention relates to portable fire escapes, the primary object being to provide an inexpensive, easilyoperated, ecie'nt fire escape adapted to be alsoused as an'eievator whereby persons may manu'tlly' loperate'th'e device to velevate themselves from "niine shafts and the like.

The invention broadly Icontemplates a mechanism adapted to 'be 'confined 'Within a relatively small compass and it-includes 'a flexible member adapted to be Wound upon 'of certain and univou'nd from a spindle Within a drum or casing, one end of the fiexfible member being anchored to 'al to permitthe flexible member to be gradually Wound or unWouiid upon 'the' spindle 'as the person ascend's or descends, the unwinding ofthe flexible connection or member be# ing induced by the Weight of the 'person there being mechanically applied braking means so that the rate of descent can be controlledby the person descending.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a iirejesc'ape 'constructed in accordance with my invention, part of the casing being broken away to show the brake band applicator andpai't of the band. f y

Fig. 2 is 'a sectional. view on the lineQZ 'of Fig., 1,l and n lFig. 3 isa fragmentary perspective view braking means for 'the flexible connection.

The "casing 1 Tis shown 'as silibstantially cylindrical, having "a removable cover 2 ivi't'h an inner flange 3, b`y -nie'ans of which. the covei 'can vbe fastened 'to th'ej'peripheral 'flange '4, by fastening devices 5. flli'e cover carries a bridging strap I6, having a spindle or shaft bearing 7 'aligning With a `corresponding bearing 8 the casing. The bearsuitable support lso as l tennis 'unirse sraifas -Pettit?"Witwe,

ingsj and 8 support a transverse shaft jor 'spindle 9, 'on which is mounted a brake drum 10, tlie drum having a-hub Vportion V1l ei;-` tending beyond the diiniiproper and consti- I tilting means for engagement-With the inner end of a coiled fiexi'ble tape 12, which is the brake drum aii'dwithiii the casing-1; y

The iexible connection or tape has. a free Iend Which travels through the slots '13 and 111 in the casing, over the rigid frictionv face l 'oi' bar. 15 carried by the flange "4 and adapted to be adjustably and frictionallyengaged by a brake shoe 16, acti'iate'dfby a'thumb'nut -17 passing through the y'support Lor bridge and the slots 13 Vvand Figs'. 1 and 3. n

By reference tofFig. 3 it will be seen that the tape 12 passes from the vcasing through "141,y as clearly seen in the slot-,14 and that. it then ,passes rout through the slot' 19 bounded byA the ibovzxv` shaped flange 20so that its free 'endor loop which. is. mounted 'a double toothed friction dog or braking vmember 25, the ends 2'6 and 27 being facedvvitli bra-kingmateriai to `bear against thev face 'ofthe tape and retard the descent for unvvindingl `action 'of the tape.

vThis 'dog will eXerta certain resistance. to

Wound about the saine tov forni a coilbeside y piece A18, bridging the friction member 15 i fthefsiot lrand back into the ycasingthrough escape may be susthe descentoftliefoasing when a perso-n is" suspended therefrom through the niediuniof th'e'loopxQSfon the flange 4 (see Fig. 1). The resistance of the uni/vinding action Lof the tape can be controlled b y the thumb nut 17.

.,Byzreference to Fig-2 it will be observed#-v slightly lessthaii the diameter of the casing, the peripheral '[iange29 being spaced' from the iiange 4 to provide a bralieband "end 32 'of the brake band 'is'perforated iat 34C tov looseiy receive 'the unthreaded portion of that tlie'diameter of the 'brake/drum is only i i "space-30. The brake band. 31 has outstandy.

the draw screw 35 Which passesithroiigh the 'end of the strap 36 bridging `the 'slot The-fend 38 of thefb'rake bandiloosely're-Vr ceives the-threaded fend Vofftii'e 'dra'yv'screw 35. Thereisa' nut. 37 Aupon the threaded 4end of the dravsT screw 35.betvveen'theL-'end38 of the bra-ke band and the end of the strap distant from the end 39. By reference to Fig. l it will be seen that there is a handle or actuator all on the end of the draw screw o which projects through the end 39, and that the nut cannot turn dueto the fact that one side bears against the strap 3G. Therefore, if the operator turns the actuator Lll in one direction through the medium of the liandle 42, the screw `35 willaot as a draw screw on the nut 37 andA draw the end38 toward the end 32 of the brake band 3l, tightening the band on the perimeter of the brake drum l0, thereby resisting the unwinding movement of the spindle or shaft 9 because the brake drum and the end of the flexible connection l2 are bothfastened to the shaft 9.

The thumb nut 17 and the actuator ll may be operated simultaneously tot exert frictional resistance to bothA the drum and the tape so that one braking means Vwill augment the other to effect efficient resistance against the unwinding movement of the flexible connection or tape l2 and this resistance can be `in proportion to the weight of the person suspended from the loop 28.

Any means can be provided for attachment to the loop 28; for example, a hook or belt to go around the waist of the person, a harness can be supplied or a sling may Lbe suspended. f

Vhen the fire escape is to be used, the person to be lowered will see that the loop 271 is hookedl over asuitable support and he may then lower himself from ak window or other opening, permitting the flexible band or tape l2 to unwind. The dog 25 will offer an initial resistance to the unwinding of the tape and the person being lowered can manipulate both the wing nut and the actuatorl il to provide the necessary friction against the tapevand the brake drum respectively so that the rate of descent can be controlled.

In .the event that the device is to be used as an elevator, for example, incase of a mine disaster or where it is desired to assist a person to ascend from a well or shaft, the loop 2l can engage a hook and the device can be unwound andlowered into the well, shaft or cavern. The operator will then effect a connection with the loop 28 and reverse the operation; thatis, wind the tape upon the spindle or shaft 9.V ln order to facilitate the winding operation l have provided a reduction gearing consisting of a gear i-3 rigid on the shaft or spindle 9 and meshing with a 'piniony Lleon a crankshaft 45, journaledfin-the bearings 46 and lin the cover 2 and strap 6 respectively. The

lhandle 48 of the crank can be grasped by the having an end projecting through a slot in the casing, the endl ofthe flexible member t being threaded bacli: into a parallel slot and over an intermediate portion of the casing' to provide a friction surface, the final 'eiid of the flexible member extending outwardly through a slot in the casing, a brake shoe f Y supported above the exible member between the first two slots, and means for varyingly y applying pressure to the brake shoe vto fric- Y tionally engage theiexible member.

2. A portable fire escape comprising a cyy lindrical casing, a shaft 'concentrically mounted in said casing,- a Vbrake drum mounted on said shaft within the casing, the

brake drum being of less vdiameter than that of the casing to provide a brake band space A between the perimeter of the drum andthe casing, the brake band having freeendsv ein tending through a slot in the casing, 'the ends extending outwardly and substantially parallel one with the other, aV strapv con nected to the casing and bridging the ends of the brake band and extendingoverthe slot, a'draw screw rotatable in the strap, a nut loose on the draw screw and inter.- posed between one end of the strap and one end of the brake band, a handle vintegral with the draw screw whereby upon turning the handle the` draw screw will impart a longitudinal movement to the nut to draw the ends of the brake band tog-ether to cause the bandA to, bind against they drum, and `a liexible tape coil about the shaft, and having one end projecting throughva slot in the casing.

iio

3. A portable ire'escapeV coinprisinga Y cylindrical casing, a shaft concentrically mounted in said casing, a brake drum mounted on said shaft within-the casing, the brake drum being of less diameter than that of the casing to providea `brakeband o yand slot, a draw screw, rotatable in the strap, a nut loose on the draw screw and mounted for longitudinal movement with -respect thereto, but held against rotatable movement with respect thereto,v the nut when moving in one direction exerting force against one end of the brake band to lessen the space between the two brake band ends, a handle on the draw screw, whereby, upon turning' the handle the draw screw will 5 cause the nut to have longitudinal movement to draw one end of the brake band toward the other to cause the brake band to bind against the drum, a flexible tape having a free end threaded outwardly and inwardlyl PIETRO P. VESCOVI. 

